From the detective's desk: How can we prevent bullying?

Thursday

Several years ago, I was asked by a former teacher of mine if I would do a presentation to all Junior High School and High School students at her school about Bullying.

I happily agreed because as a detective with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, I have dealt with the effects of children (and some adults) being bullied.

One of the most common situations that we, as law enforcement, deal with in regards to bullying is Cyberbullying.

Louisiana law defines Cyberbullying as “the transmission of any electronic textual, visual, written, or oral communication with the malicious and willful intent to coerce, abuse, torment, or intimidate a person under the age of eighteen.”

As many of you know, in today's society, social media is such a huge part of our lives. Social media sites have become the way many people get their news, keep up with family and friends, and also meet new people. In most cases, that would be viewed as a positive thing.

Unfortunately, social media has also led to negative experiences. As a law enforcement officer for many years, I have watched social media grow, and in many cases, cause issues for many children and adults. We receive complaints almost weekly concerning something that someone said about someone else on social media.

One problem, as I see it, is that with today's children, there is no limit to what some children are capable of saying to, or about, one another via social media.

It seems to be easy to say terrible, hurtful things about another person when one has the anonymity of being behind a keyboard or smartphone.

Nationally, there have been many documented cases of suicide as a direct result of bullying, especially Cyberbullying.

Thankfully, we, as adults, can take steps to prevent and/or help our children if they experienced bullying.

There are many avenues available for us to learn how to help our children. A quick search on the internet will provide several useful guides on how to respond to, and prevent bullying.

One very useful site is StopBullying.gov.

A quick rundown of some things that you can do, from that particular site, is:

Help your kids understand bullying (Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely). Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.

Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.

Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.

Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

As parents, we need to pay attention to the sites that our children are visiting. Also, pay attention to changes in their personalities and daily routines. We have to stay involved as parents.

And finally, if there is a situation or circumstance that concerns you as a parent and you aren’t sure how to address it, reach out for help. The school counselor, your church, and/or your local law enforcement agency are all good places to start.